How to Embroider with a Standard Sewing Machine

Embroidery is a great way to add something a little extra special to a sewing project, cover an imperfection or enhance an item already in your closet. But what if you don’t have an embroidery machine? Can you use a regular sewing machine to embroider?

We’re here to tell you that yes, you can use your standard sewing machine to create beautiful embroidery!

This article is filled with everything you need to know about using your sewing machine for embroidery including:

• Can all sewing machines do embroidery?
• How can I embroider letters and patterns with a sewing machine?
• What are essential embroidery sewing accessories?
• What’s the difference between a regular sewing machine and embroidery sewing machine?

Can All Sewing Machines Do Embroidery?

While an embroidery machine definitely makes embroidery easier and helps you to tackle more complicated projects, any sewing machine can do basic embroidery. At its core, embroidery is just stitches sewn into a pattern — so if your machine can sew stitches, it can do embroidery.

If you want to be able to embroider more complex shapes and curves, you’ll want to make sure your machine has the option for you to lower the feed dogs. By lowering the feed dogs, you can move the fabric around under the needle in any direction you like, making it possible to sew intricate designs. However, if your machine doesn’t allow you to lower the feed dogs, you can still sew basic embroidery — you’ll just need to stick to simple lines and avoid complicated designs.

How to Embroider Letters and Patterns With a Sewing Machine

Basic shapes, patterns and letters are a great place to start when learning to embroider with your regular sewing machine. Here’s how to embroider with your sewing machine:

1. Take off your sewing machine’s presser foot or switch to a darning foot. Either no foot or a darning foot is best for free-motion sewing.
2. Lower your thread tension.
3. Lower the feed dogs on your machine.
4. Prepare your project. Adhere tearaway stabilizer to the back of your planned embroidery location. Draw out or copy your design onto the fabric with disappearing ink. Secure the area in an embroidery hoop — this will help keep the fabric taut as you sew.
5. Make sure you have the right needle for your fabric in the machine.
6. Set the stitch length to 0.
7. Get your embroidery hoop in place under the needle, lower the presser foot, and turn the handwheel to lower the needle and engage the bobbin thread. Push the thread tail away from the needle.
8. Start sewing slowly and move the hoop under the needle to outline, then fill in, your design.
9. Remember that embroidery takes practice. Your first project may not turn out the way you want, but don’t despair! With some practice, you’ll be sewing beautiful embroidery with your regular sewing machine in no time.

What are Essential Embroidery Sewing Accessories?

So, what supplies will you need to embroider with your regular sewing machine? Here are some accessories that are super helpful to keep around your sewing room for your embroidery projects.

• Embroidery Hoop: You’ll need an embroidery hoop to secure your design firmly while you sew it, keeping the fabric taut.
• Appliqué Scissors: These small scissors have tiny precision blades that make it easy to cut away the little thread tails left after sewing your embroidery design.
• Nippers: These are great for faster, less precise cutting of threads.
• Stitch Eraser: Embroidery is a pain to remove with a seam ripper — a stitch eraser makes it easy!
• Thread Stand: When you embroider, you’ll go through a whole lot more thread than when sewing seams, making a thread stand that fits a larger cone of thread very helpful.
• Disappearing Ink Pen: Draw in your embroidery designs with a disappearing ink pen so that you don’t have to worry about your markings being visible around the stitches later.
• Ruler: You’ll need a ruler for all types of sewing, including embroidery.
• Pins: Sewing pins are useful for holding stabilizer to the back of your project as you start to sew.

What Is the Difference Between a Regular Sewing Machine and Embroidery Sewing Machine?

If you want to take your embroidery to the next level and start creating more complicated, intricate designs, you’ll want an embroidery machine. An embroidery machine differs from a regular sewing machine in that it utilizes a computer that can save complex embroidery designs. It even comes preprogrammed with embroidery patterns.

There is some crossover between embroidery machines and regular sewing machines. These days, there are sewing machines on the market that can sew regular construction-type sewing as well as embroidery designs. The Brother LB5000S Star Wars Sewing and Embroidery Machine is a fun option for a versatile machine, especially if you love Star Wars!

If you want a machine capable of very complicated embroidery, you’ll want a dedicated embroidery machine. The Janome Memory Craft 500E Embroidery Machine is a wonderful, durable machine for someone who loves embroidery. If embroidery designs including multiple colors are something you see yourself wanting to create regularly, you may prefer an embroidery machine with multiple needles, such as the Janome MB-4S, so that you don’t have to switch out thread colors as often.

These machines often have specific embroidery hoop systems that fit into the machine perfectly for great results. They make embroidery easy by sewing the design you’ve programmed without your needing to direct the fabric. All you have to do is watch the machine create your design! Want to shop for a new sewing machine or embroidery machine? Premier Stitching offers the largest selection of sewing and embroidery machines for any budget and sewing skill level whether you are a beginner, novice or expert.